Democracy's Moment: Reforming the American Political System for the 21st Century (People, Passions, and Power: Social Movements, Interest Organization

Description

The two-month long Election Day in Florida made one thing clear: We need to find ways to make the American political system more responsive to the demands of all citizens. This book provides a critical assessement of a broad range of electoral reforms proposed to enhance responsive government. The book aims not only to analyze the obstacles to full political participation, but to capitalize on the window of opportunity that election 2000 has provided to make our political system more truly democratic-to realize 'democracy's moment.'

About Author

Ronald Hayduk is assistant professor of political science at Borough of Manhattan Community College. Kevin Mattson is associate professor of history at Ohio University and faculty associate at the Contemporary History Institute at Ohio University.

Contents

Part 1 Introduction and Historical Background Chapter 2 Remembering Florida for the Right Reasons Chapter 3 History as Hope: The Legacy of the Progressive Era and the Future of Political Reform in America Part 4 Eliminating Barriers to Political Participation: Tearing Down Walls Chapter 5 The Weight of History: Election Reform During the Progressive Era and Today Chapter 6 More Choice Please! Why U. S. Ballot Access Laws are Discriminatory and How Independent Parties and Candidates Challenge Them Chapter 7 Freeing Politics from the Grip of Money: The Limits of Campaign Finance Reform and the Need for a New Approach Part 8 Engaging Citizens: Building Citizens Chapter 9 Democratic Theory and the Case for Public Deliberation Chapter 10 Educating for Democracy Chapter 11 Community as a Source for Democratic Politics Chapter 12 Can the Internet Rescue Democracy? Toward an On-line Commons Part 13 Making the System More Responsive Chapter 14 Instant Runoff Voting and Full Representation: Keys to Fulfilling Democracy's Promise Chapter 15 Putting Democracy Back into the Initiative and Referendum Chapter 16 The Debate Gerrymander and America's Electoral-Industrial Complex Chapter 17 The Electoral College: Constitutional Debate, Partisan Manipulation, and Reform Possibilities Part 18 Challenges and Prospects for Democratic Reform Chapter 19 What Makes Reform So Difficult: The Case of America's Cities and the Problem of Elites Chapter 20 Looking Backward While Looking Forward to Democracy's Moment Chapter 21 Appendix: National and Regional Democracy Organizations